For decades, most states have made a practice of giving citizens returning from prison or jail a small amount of money, called "gate money," to cover the cost of transportation and other immediate needs. Many legislatures have considered increasing the dollar amount of their cash assistance and offering this kind of support more widely.…

This study evaluates cross-sectional data from 9 years of the "INTUIT: Work and Careers" intervention (N = 491), a program for female offenders in reentry. Of several measures used, participants showed increases on the five career decision-making self-efficacy factors assessed by the "Career Decision Making Self-Efficacy Short Form…

According to the United States Department of Justice (2017), over 10,000 formerly incarcerated individuals are released each week from federal and state prisons. Approximately two-thirds of this population will be re-arrested within three years of release. Although employment has been found to reduce recidivism, the majority of formerly…

Veterans Affairs (VA) offers education benefits to veterans with disabilities through the GI Bill, VA's largest education program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E), which helps veterans with service-connected disabilities re-enter the workforce. Each offers distinct features that may better serve veterans depending on their…

Few studies have examined the effectiveness of interventions to improve mental health in the unemployed. Current evidence points to interventions improving mental health but having little, if any, impact on reemployment. In the Australian context, psychological services continue to be delivered yet little is known about their effectiveness. This…

The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-199) represented a historic piece of legislation designed to improve outcomes for and provide a comprehensive response to the increasing number of individuals who are released from prisons, jails, and juvenile residential facilities, and returning to communities upon release. The Second Chance Act's…

More than 2 million people are incarcerated in the United States, and around 700,000 are released from prison each year. Those who are released face daunting obstacles as they seek to reenter their communities, and rates of recidivism are high. Many experts believe that stable employment is critical to a successful transition from prison to the…

More than 2 million people are incarcerated in the United States, and around 700,000 are released from prison each year. Those who are released face daunting obstacles as they seek to reenter their communities, and rates of recidivism are high. Many experts believe that stable employment is critical to a successful transition from prison to the…

This bibliography summarizes recent research on the structure and effectiveness of workforce development programs. While the term "workforce development" can mean many things, this document focuses on programs to help low-skill, low-wage and displaced workers increase their employment and earnings, as well as labor market trends that…

The Institute for Work, Skills and Training was assigned to evaluate a labor market program aimed at the integration of long-term unemployed individuals aged 50 or older. The integration should have been achieved not only by training and coaching of individuals, but also by building regional networks between labor market stakeholders within a…

Over the past two decades, an innovative approach to workforce development known as sectoral employment has emerged, resulting in the creation of industry-specific training programs that prepare unemployed and underskilled workers for skilled positions and connect them with employers seeking to fill such vacancies. In 2003, with funding from the…

This issue of "P/PV In Brief" provides updated data from the Ready4Work prisoner reentry initiative, with a focus on the prison crisis occurring in many cities and states. While much more research is needed to understand the true, long-term impact of prisoner reentry initiatives, outcomes from Ready4Work were extremely promising in terms of…

This issue of "P/PV In Brief" reviews interim outcomes from the Ready4Work prisoner reentry initiative. Funded by the US Department of Labor and the Annie E. Casey and Ford foundations, Ready4Work is a three-year national demonstration project designed to address the needs of the growing ex-prisoner population and to test the capacity of…

The relationship between the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Program and vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs was reviewed. Focus was on the extent to which VR services are successful in returning SSDI beneficiaries to productive employment. The review was carried out in 10 states with widely varying practices in referring SSDI…

The status of career guidance for the long-term unemployed is reviewed. Participants (N=58) in Skillshare training programs (Australia) were studied. Findings describing attitudes and characteristics before and after intervention, satisfaction with the program, and qualitative evaluation results are reported. Graduates can generate more career…